


Never Met

by chronicAngel



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Date Night, First Dates, Fluff, Gay, M/M, Multi, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 01:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13377120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chronicAngel/pseuds/chronicAngel
Summary: "I don't know if we've ever really like, hung out without masks on... or without Kori... It's like we've never met before."





	Never Met

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Alex.

Most guys would probably disconcerted by a girl who's taller than him. Then again, Jason died when he was fifteen and most of the girls in his life were pretty close to his size then, so he's actually pretty used to being four inches shorter than any girl he likes. It helps his self-confidence, too, that the girl next to him is an alien princess and the same height as Supes, who is the tallest person he knew growing up, and thus he knows that it's not just him being short. He thinks to how attractive models are considered to be when they're incredibly tall like she is, and yet the double standard that men then have when it comes to their own girlfriends, and then he wonders how Kori would have fared if she'd chosen to be an accountant or something.  


When the door opens, three-year-old Lian peaks up at them, and looks between them before pointing at Jason. "Are you the babysitter?"  


Jason laughs and awkwardly rubs at the back of his neck. "Nope, sorry. I'm the date." Pointing his thumb in Kori's direction, he grins. "She's the babysitter."  


He thinks he hears Lian say "Cool!" before, as if out of nowhere, Roy appears in the doorway and is picking her up. "Lian, you know you're not supposed to answer the door! It could be a murderer or kidnapper or something." Jason feels his ears turn red when he sees him. Jason doesn't really dress up for anything, besides maybe a t-shirt that doesn't have a logo on it or nicer jeans. Roy, on the other hand, has his hair pulled back from his face in a ponytail and has shaved his stupid little beard.  


"I am sort of a kidnapper." Kori says, making a silly face at Lian. "I am here to take your child and make sure you do not retrieve her until a designated time at a designated location, at which point I will be receiving a reward."  


"Yeah, but it's not exactly a conventional reward," Jason retorts, snorting. He knows his cheeks are still pink, and he thanks Kori privately for the distraction while she and Roy discuss the details of watching after Lian. She is not allowed to watch horror movies because, though she expresses interest in them, the gore often gives her nightmares. She is also not allowed to hear any stories about Dick Grayson because he doesn't want her "getting any ideas."  


"Really?" He cuts in, laughing again. "When I was growing up, Dick was the good influence."  


"And that's why Mia is my usual babysitter, not you," Roy says without missing a beat. He turns back to Kori and continues rattling off information. "There are snacks in the pantry. She likes the animal crackers best, but please tell her that she doesn't need to eat the heads first and that, no matter what, the animals don't feel pain. Dinner's already made and in the fridge, but if she doesn't want any, there's a swear jar on the counter and you can dig out of there to order Chinese or something. She likes sweet and sour chicken, but she doesn't eat the sauce for some reason. Please _don't drink it._ And don't drink any mustard, either. Just... stay out of condiments."  


After a full minute, Roy finally kisses Kori's cheek and the top of Lian's head. "Bedtime is still 8:30. Don't try to stay up late just because I'm gone like you do with Mia." Lian sticks her tongue out at him for a second and then nods, and finally Roy turns to Jason. He doesn't actually mind the wait though, waving at Lian as he hooks his arm with Roy's and lets him lead the way. He doesn't actually know much about the plan, other than a vague "Dinner. 6:00." Eventually, they end up at some small restaurant Jason's never heard of, but he imagines it's probably one of the only places you can go in Alabama where you won't be judged for being two men on a date. If they were in Gotham, he could name at least ten places off the top of his head, and the Iceberg Lounge would be at the top of the list.  


It only takes two minutes to get a table, and Jason finds it astounding. The only way he would be able to get service that quickly back home would be to go to dinner with Bruce, who has a reputation for miraculously arriving just as a table is freed up, and he would honestly rather die.  


"Is this weird for you?" Roy says, almost the second they sit down, and Jason supposes that either he's being much quieter than he thought he was, or Roy is nervous. He finds it kind of endearing, actually.  


"Not really. I didn't date anyone before... well, you know. Girls. Boys. I didn't have time to get particularly interested in anybody. Is it weird for you?"  


" _Very,_ " Roy breathes, and Jason laughs. "I haven't had much time for actual dating since Lian was born. I'm amazed that anyone in our profession does. It's mostly been hook-ups for the past few years. And... I've never dated a guy before."  


He doesn't respond. He doesn't know how to. He doesn't think his offered "Me either" would be a comfort, so he doesn't offer it. He's also never had a real model for a guy who dates other guys in his life. His dad was never around, Bruce has always been painfully heterosexual, and though he's heard legends of the brief time that Dick and Wally dated, they started after he died and stopped long before he came back.  


_Now,_ he thinks, _I'm being much quieter than I thought I was._ Snapping his attention back to their conversation, he watches Roy for a minute, who chews nervously on his thumb nail and looks like he's trying really hard not to look anxious, but is obviously failing. Finally, just to break the ice, Jason says, "I don't know if we've ever really like, hung out without masks on... or without Kori... It's like we've never met before." He doesn't think this helps. Immediately launching into repair mode, he offers his hand. "Hi. I'm Jason Todd. I was taken in by Bruce Wayne when I was just under fourteen and now I do everything in life to spite him."  


Roy laughs and offers his own hand. "I'm Roy Harper. I've been adopted _twice_ and now my life is kind of a mess. I also know this idiot with a white stripe in his hair who does everything in his life just to spite his dad..."  


He trails off as Jason holds a hand to his chest in mock offense.  


"Well, now that we've got introductions out of the way, wanna order something to eat?" He says, gesturing at the approaching waiter. Jason has heard that there's this thing girls do on the first date where they're actually very hungry, but when the waiter comes, they only order a salad and water "with a lemon" as though the lemon fucking helps. They are not girls.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write up more but I couldn't think of anything else, and this felt like an okay start? Plus, I dunno if I could have kept Jason's swearing contained and then it wouldn't exactly be a PG-13 fic and I'd have to go T rating.


End file.
